Gender gap in nonmedical use of anxiolytics among high school adolescents: Tunisia, 2021

IntroductionNon-Medical Use of Anxiolytics (NMUA) and sedatives is a focus of scientific interest worldwide. In Tunisia, no national epidemiological data related to this issue, are published.ObjectivesWe aimed to determine the prevalence of NMUA in Tunisian adolescents and assess specificities from a gender scope.MethodsData from the 2021-Mediterranean school Survey on Alcohol and other Drugs (MedSPAD) were used. Based on random sampling method (three-stage stratification), high school teenagers in first and second year of secondary education, were enrolled. Data were collected using a self-administered standardized questionnaire assessing socio-demographic characteristics, and specific questions related to NMUA (among adolescents and close environment), perceived accessibility and initiation age. We studied weighted prevalence estimates of NMUA at least once in a lifetime, presented with 95% Confidence Interval (CI). Epi data software was used for data entry and statistical analysis was performed with STATA software.ResultsThe survey included 6.201 adolescents with a mean age of 16.8 years and sex ratio F/M equal to 1.5. Only half of surveyed adolescents, perceived accessibility to NMUA as “impossible” and almost 20% had at least one family member or friend using a nonmedical prescription of anxiolytics. The overall prevalence of NMUA was (8.4%; 95% CI [7.6-9.2]), significantly higher among girls (9.8% Vs 6.1%, p-value